Blood & Ready - Junkyard Jukebox


Review by Greg Holman

I had the privilege of attending the recent Blood & Ready CD release party at the Zoo Bar for B & R’s latest effort, ‘Junkyard Jukebox‘. The show was one of the better ones I’ve witnessed from this outfit. The CD is an absolute gem!

The last time we left Blood & Ready in the wake of new material was the ‘We Rule You, We Fool You, We Shoot You” disc. Not a bad effort in and of itself, but this one is a culmination of many things I think humble head man Jefferson Iwanski has longed for, for some time. It is arguably as collaborative an effort as he has ever been a part of. The lines get brilliantly blurred between him and co-writer Mitch Van De Stowe, as to who is contributing what in a way that is quite refreshing. In other words for all the “genius” tag that sometimes gets bestowed on Iwanski, everyone can take a fair share of the credit this time out. Something here again, knowing Iwanski, that he has to be quite proud of!

In my critique of ‘We fool you’ I referred to that record as being much like the old codger on the porch of some backwoods mountain cabin inviting you to come sit and enjoy his company although at first glance you were probably none too sure. Sit long enough, you might just find he was far more likable than you ever first imagined. This record is more accessible in many ways and a real treat right from the get go!

The first real noticeable thing right out of the blocks is the “old codger” if you will, has found himself a woman! A “Sunset Girl”, as track 1 suggests. Quite literally, the band has found themselves a female as well, new member Sarah Rosenau who sings back up on the track and her voice adds a new dynamic to a great deal of the record. As talented as Rosenau obviously is, she lends much more then just a pretty voice. She sings with real know how , especially when providing backups, but check her out upfront on tracks like “Born to Fade” and ‘Tiny Jewels,’ where she adds a whole new dimension to Blood Ready‘s sound.(Interestingly enough at the Zoo Bar show, one of those fans often applying the “genius” tag to Iwanski’s brilliance, muttered the phrase, “so many weapons…” obviously taken by Rosenau’s addition and all the added elements she helps to provide) Rosenau’s contribution is not just about what she’s capable of lending, but what it allows the others to lend without changing a thing and yet at the same time, that’s what changes everything! So many weapons, indeed! She also provides several percussive elements throughout, as well as trumpet on a couple tracks. Given her introduction into the band on ‘Sunset Girl’ and the immediate uplift that the song starts this disc off with, the song could have easily been titled (Found Our) “Sunshine Girl”.

This is as talented and complete an outfit as Iwanski has ever commanded, no offense to anyone he’s ever played with prior. (I balk at saying that when you consider the talent in Honeystump, from which the band was born out of, but you quickly forgive yourself when you recognize Honeystump alumni John ‘Honeyboy’ Turner applying his craft blowing harp on two of the numbers here. A mean, clean, harp I might add, when you get round to ‘Judas Goat’ towards the end of this disc! A real treat at the Zoo show where he joined in on stage. A real bonus to hear that sound swirling through this bands music once again!) This is a very solid outfit and this is a very solid record!

The songwriting and arranging is pure song craft in a way that makes Blood and Ready’s already established dark acoustic sound seem like a genre they re-invented for their own purpose. It also isn’t quite as “dark” as once could be said. In fact these songs have an upbeat sort of youthfulness that just rings with the likes of other eclectic outfits like Eels, The Decembrists, and the Tiger Lillies. Even the darker tunes are much more layered and dynamic, making them “shine“, even in the dim. It’s that thing that all good songwriting as story telling, must posses. The ability to provide the listener with that little ‘movieola’ in your head while allowing the listener (given the lyric as script and the accompanying music as soundtrack) the opportunity to apply the story line to their own senses.

This album is chalked full of that kind of storytelling in ways that are seldom assembled in such perfect fashion. Let the cameras in your mind’s eye roll as you watch the epic ‘Equestrian’ unfold. Full of rattlesnake spooked horses leading to the kind of fall that ultimately defines the life of an epic western movie cowboy always willing to get back on and whoop it up all over again, with synchronized guitar and banjo lines strumming along and driving the whole song.

Sandwiched between ‘Sunset Girl’ and “Equestrian‘ is ‘Kingdom of Mine’. A song every bit a Tigerlillies meets Decembrist number with Mitch’s perfectly applied lap steel guitar and Iwanski’s vocals begging questions of good and evil in asking what defines righteousness and wrong or, as the lyric implies… “how is it that a wicked man can fly on home with Jesus, How is it that a good man can still wind up in hell, and what about the loved ones that he’s left behind, should they believe he’s flying or burning alive? Pure food for thought dished up with absolute quirky brilliance!

‘Weed’ finds that old codger once again, all prettied up and yet still knowing he may not be the greatest thing to look at, perhaps even despised by some, but still not bad looking in his own sort of twisted way. “I’m a weed, a good looking weed, purple flower, shiny seed.” If it’s anything like this record, it’s quickly growing ten feet tall with every glance from those who can’t help but notice. Presented by that same voice that often evoked that ‘old codger’ notion on the last record, none other than that of Mitch Van De Stowe, who applies his voice to this effort with much more style and grace. (His backing vocals on “Dale” are a highlight of the record.) His deliverance in songs like ‘Weed’ show off his vocal improvements, yet at the same time make previous efforts, both in B & R and Honeystump, seem that much more deliberate. He really out did himself here both vocally and as a musician & songwriter. (Check out the deliberate lead acoustic picking on 'Born to Fade', and here again on ‘Dale’. You’re not quite sure who to congratulate on that epic storytelling journey, however without question, Van De Stowe’s lent parts did nothing to sell that song or this record short and everything to beg your listening over and over again!)

At first listen the track that follows “Weed’; a number called “Hell Train”, almost sounds like the same song. So much so I originally questioned why they were butted up against one another until you recognize the genius behind the thought. The pause between the two songs is barely enough to not fool you into believing the intro into ‘Hell Train’ (another signature mandolin part from Van De Stowe) isn’t just a break in ‘Weed’. (It’s like that purple flowers a growin’ right up between the tracks of that satanic vessel!) Van De Stowes vocals practically confirm the notion that your still listening to ‘Weed’, but here again, hearing it a couple times they make for perfect mates, and you realize just how much thought was put into this entire record.

Kudos to that!

For many years I have questioned Iwanski’s unwillingness at times, to pay more attention to song order and going that extra mile with regards to studio production. On this record, B & R strike a perfect balance between capturing a moment (Iwanski’s calling card) and allowing the song to be as good as good can get. Not only does it underscore just how much of a group effort this record had to have been, from songwriting and arranging, to recording, mixing and packaging, but it made for one hell of a record!

The “old codger” that begged for you to “join the circus” on ‘Circus’ from We Fool You’ offers the complete opposite plea in ‘Hell Train’, begging you “don’t’ get on that train”. I marvel at the dynamic between Van De Stowe’s voice out front and Rosenau and Iwanski’s classic backing vocal, repeating the plea. You will too! You almost get the sense, that all cleaned up and courting a female kind, both the old codger and Blood Ready are a whole different kind of dark. In fact they’ve learned to tell stories such as these with enough intrigue to let you decide the shade of the vision, you’ve been allowed to create in your own head. They’re merely providing the synopsis for which to play director with the ‘scenes’ you paint for yourself. Quite an accomplishment for any artist.

Not only did the band go to the added trouble to cross all the ‘I” s and dot all the “T” s, (not a typo, just me being cute!) but checkout how the perfect song order is actually enhanced one step further on the cover by having the songs listed like a two part play, complete with an “Intermission” following act one and an “Epilogue” ending act two. (The ‘Intermission‘, a drunken banjo solo from Van De Stowe, aptly titled ‘The Hand of Three Finger Jack!)

Prior to that intermission is the aforementioned ‘Born to Fade’. (Which brings to mind Cowboy Junkies) A great way to end “part one” prior to the “intermission”. A perfect way to properly introduce Rosenau and show her off all that same time. Again, this record was very well thought out. The lyrics, the music, the arrangements, the production, the whole nine yards. (Even the cover art was designed to invent itself in transparent layers! What didn’t they think of?)

That intermission all so serves as the perfect set up for the first song of part two of the disc, ‘Black 100’. Big and changy just like ‘Sunset Girl’ kicking off the disc, ‘Black 100’ is an epic tale of growing up and discovering girls and booze and all the things you were never supposed to like when you were really little! (Hinting at the notion that that kind of behavior may even one day lead to something darker still… And you wonder where the darkness comes from?) This is classic songwriting with that big changy guitar introducing a shared vocal between Iwanski and Van De Stowe proclaiming, ‘Saturday morning, diabolical. Flying like a fiend on a red bicycle’. Further driving home the memory of the moment, ‘Big wheel spinning, jack of diamonds. Sounds like a motorcycle clicking along”. Only to suggest “Let’s go spy on your sister, Let’s go drink some beer. The dumpster's full of syringes and the garbage man ain’t been here” while trailing off into a moment of minor key change and further driving the song. Later the bridge revisit’s the thought of spying on one’s sister, only this time the inclination is, “Let’s go torment your sister, I know where my dad keeps his gun. Lets dig up all the Hustlers, I’m ready to have some fun!“ The age of innocence or the moments leading up to the loss there of? You’re the director you decide! Killer track about that journey of youth we’ve all been on.

Again, a correlation could be drawn between the band's music and it’s own journey . That difference between what was once a pretty good group of younger musicians and what has now become a much more powerful monster in the making. They have literally defined their own music making in ways that many bands never quite get to experience. In other words these guys have finally arrived! Not bad for a second record. A must have if this is your first introduction into this lot!

The ‘Wickizer Papers’ is another brilliant songwriting as storytelling moment . While the lyrics paint a tale of backroom double dealing and murder, etc. many great elements present the song from both underneath and on top. In particular the warbling trumpet lines from Rosenau that evoke thoughts of old British television dramas. The whole song never quite sure of what year it is, almost leading you to believe that Sherlock Holmes was perhaps the original David Caruso in a sung version of CSI! My favorite line proclaiming, “After a few weeks went by I started to think it was all just talk, When someone who knew too much found his body lined in chalk”. That ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ side of Zeppelin thing that collides with backwoods banjo notions ala ‘Deliverance’ that I referred to in my review of “We Fool You” is ever present here to incredible effect and is a highlight of the record. That’s saying something in a package filled with highlight moments galore! Great arrangement and presentation here, as well.

If you ever wondered about Iwanski’s influences or needed affirmation of his love of Dylan in his songwriting or listening tastes, give a listen to ‘Tarantula’. I’ve heard Jefferson do Dylan tunes before, (I had to follow a flawless solo acoustic presentation of him doing ‘Shelter from the Storm’ at a coffee house gig, one time!) this could easily be mistaken for one of those never before heard bootlegs of Bob’s. (If only Bob could sing with Jeff‘s diction! - Listen to his deliverance of the phrase “it’s gettin’ cold.”) From the clip of the guitar to the phrasing of the lyrics in this one, it’s all pure Bob, delivered by a true fan.

If you really want to know what Dylan taught Iwanski about song writing, look no further than the before mentioned ‘Dale’. It sounds nothing like Dylan! This is another real standout on this record. (Again, amongst many standouts!) Anyone who remembers and appreciated Iwanski’s early days as a musician here in Lincoln will attest to a song he’s done here and there in different outfits called “’River’. A great murder ballad that builds with lyrics about doing in a lover before doing in yourself. This is a much different number with a similar feel. In Dale it actually begs the question throughout, “what if we did…” By the end you swear you’re right there riding shotgun in a getaway car to a crime you only hope you dreamt you may have committed. With references to truck stops and bad gasoline and going all the way if you only knew you could. “What if he twitches and looks us in the eye”? is one of the early lines that’s laid out in questioning whether or not ‘we could even pull it off‘. Whatever ‘it’ may be, this song in and of itself may be nothing more than this band looking itself in the eye and saying could we actually do something monumental and get away with it. I think they did something pretty special here, bad gasoline and all!

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better comes ‘Judas Goat’. A throwback to the humble beginnings of Honeystump when it was just Iwanski and Honeyboy Turner, and boy do they throw down here! This a great one with Turner wheezing away effortlessly on the harp while Iwanski brings his best white boy blues delivery. Classic Jeff and John in full force, with Van De Stowe, Rosenau and bassist Russ Eikerman, demonstrating why they’ve been added along the way. This a great one! If you’re a fan of Honeyboy and Jefferson’s collaborative efforts from the past, buy the record for this moment and realize what a great record you got in return. A bonus either way you look at it, for sure!

‘Rose’ finishes up “act two” if you will, prior to the aforementioned ‘Epilogue‘. This track wasn’t one of my favorites at first listen. Still a good song and all, but far too typical. Probably more a victim to all the other tracks’ greatness than anything against this track in particular. Probably, more a victim to it’s own generic nature than anything else. (The hand claps underneath this one the only sonic error on the entire record) However, after a few times through you realize this is as good as anything on here in it’s own way.

Mitch’s voice is pretty good here, with Rosenau lending support, they do a great job of presenting the song. A signature Van De Stowe mandolin and a nice strumming guitar line that moves along at a decent clip from Iwanski, along with a big plodding bridge to break the prettiness which Sarah folds right back into the mix, lending solo vocals.

However, here again, it’s simply the victim of too many other really great moments for this moment to shine above the rest. Don’t get me wrong, as I said, it’s still a great song, and does nothing to compromise the rest of the record. In fact, it actually works rather well here. It’s just not quite as daring as the rest of the record for me.. It’s what the whole record could have easily been, given the circumstances, had the band not decided to go that extra mile and make a different record all together.

Let’s face it, the beauty of the song writing duo that Iwanski and Van De Stowe have become, is in their ability to recognize what the other provides. It’s symbiotic. They both can do things the other cannot. It’s what the whole record was built on; mutual collaboration. This song doesn’t provide the same kind of storytelling and backdrop that the other tracks seem to possess in spades. It’s much more stereotypical of the kind of music this band could throw down without ever really thinking about it. Fortunately, the rest of this record is not stereotypical, it’s anything but. That all said, it only makes you realize what this band is up against next time out, if it’s to top itself, given the dozen previous tracks, here. This record is that good!



I feel like I’ve gone on way to long here, but I truly believe this is one of those moments when a band defines itself as being something truly unique unto itself. Not easily done, especially these days, and yet I have failed to mention bassist Russ Eikerman to real extent up and to this point. However, it’s for good reason! For all the bottom end that Rosenau supplies and all the rhythmic shakers, etc. Eikerman goes about his business without ever intruding on what is happening. As I think I mentioned in critiquing their first record, this is his brilliance. This is exactly what a band like this needs. A bass player that speaks volumes by never shouting over the crowd. A bottom end specialist who knows how to be heard without ever being seen and vise versa. There is no doubt he’s there and every bit as important, but yet he seems to recognize the importance of letting the other “actors”, if you will, do their bit. In this play he played his part to a tee! But let’s not stop there and practically repeat what I said the last time out. Eikerman in fact, gets recording credits on this record, which was recorded at his own Greenwood studio, and hats off to his every effort! A great deal is owed to the production here, and once you hear the record, realize a great deal of it (so I’m told) was done in one take moments! A lot of thought before and after, while never fearing having to redo anything unacceptable, but this was truly well done from a production standpoint, without question. I’d love to be able to say more about Eikerman’s bass playing and what he lent, but that’s the beauty of it all. It speaks for itself. It was lent in ways that never poke out enough to draw your attention and that’s saying a lot in an outfit like this. Well done once again!

The before mentioned “Epilogue” - ‘Tiny Jewel’ that finishes out the disc, is a pretty tune that is much more indicative of what Van De Stowe and Rosenau are capable of when they put their collaborative gifts together presenting one of Iwanskis songs. It’s much more suited for the kind of delivery these two can serve up. The real bonus here is Iwanski stepping up to blow solo harp on this one as if signing his own signature at the end of this brilliantly written play you just witnessed. Bravo!!

Don’t miss this one. It’s truly a gem! In fact, to borrow from the “epilogue” - this is one enormous, “tiny jewel”.